Process of treating wool-grease.



UNITED STATES JOHN HOPKINSON, OF BRADFORD, ENGLAND.

PROCESS OF TREATING WOOL-GREASE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 680,977, dated August20, 1901.

Original application filed December 28, 1897, $erial No. 664,089.Divided and this application filed November 14, 1899. Serial No.736,970- (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern:

ject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Bradford, in the countyof York, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inthe Treatment of Wool-Grease and Soapsuds,of which the following is aspecification.

This application is a division of my application filed in the UnitedStates Patent Office on the 28th of December, 1897, Serial Thisinvention is applicable to the brown grease which is obtained from theWashing or the back -washing of wool by treating the soapsuds with acidor to the grease obtained direct from wool by solvents or, in fact, toalmost any other greases containing unsaponifiable matter. I

Now by my invention I obtain the .lanolin or the grease from which it ismade in great purity. I obtain also an extremely viscous oil consistingentirely of neutral fat which is a remarkably good lubricant for heavymachinery, and I further obtain a very pure form of soap. I partiallysaponify the raw grease by adding to one hundred pounds of greaseeighteen and one-half pounds of canstic-soda solution, specific gravity1.250, or equivalent quantity of caustic potash of specific gravityabout 1.250 and boil the mixture until the alkali is absorbed. Theamount of alkali required for this purpose is prefergive exactquantities; but the quantity required to fully saponify it can be easilyfound by experiments or analysis of a small portion of each batch. Themixture is boiled until the alkali is absorbed. I add sufficient chloridof sodium or other soda salt in solution as will precipitate theunsaponified fat. The exact amount of chlorid of sodium can only befound with each given variety of fatlbyexperiment, but is approximatelyfourteen pounds of salt in solution to one hundred pounds of fatoperated on. The mixture is allowed to repose for a few hours. Theunsaponified fat tained are an excellent lubricant.

rises and forms a superstratum of anhydrous lanolin. The substratum is amixture of soap and fat alcohols in solution. The superstratum isremoved and to the substratum is added ethyl or methyl alcohol ormethylated spirit in the proportion of about three and a half times theoriginal bulk of grease operated upon, the mythylated spirits beingpreferably of specific gravity .950. The object of adding ethyl ormethyl alcohol is to obtain a complete separation of the constituents ofWool-grease; but this can only be done in conjunction withsaponification and the addition of benzol or other solvent, insoluble inalcohol. It is utterly impossible to completely separate neutral fat andsoap by the application of alkalies in aqueous solution, either in astate of hydrate or carbonate, the fat from the apparently separatedsoap having about the same compositionas the mixed fat which floats onthe top. I now add a solvent of fat alcohols, preferably coal-tarbenzol,whioh does not dissolve soap, but only dissolves the fat alcoholswhen the soap is dissolved in methylated spirits or ethyl alcohol of thestrength and quantity namednamely, specific gravity .950and three andone-half times the weight of the original grease. This coal-tar benzolis added a little at a time and thoroughly stirred up. The fat alcoholsand benzol rise to the surface and are skimmed off and the solventseparated by distillation. The fat alcohols thus ob- Tlhe soap solutionis finished in the usual well-known way of soap-boilers and is thenready for either household or manufacturing purposes.

Where it is not requisite to obtain the lanolin and fatty alcohols inseparate form, the process can be simplified by completely saponifyin gat start-say by adding about thirty pounds of solution of caustic soda,specific gravity 1.250, or an equivalent amount of caustic potash to onehundred of grease; but the exact amount is ascertained by an analysis ofeach batch. The ethyl or methylaloohol or methylated spirits is addedand the mixture is submitted to a pressure of two atmospheres untilsaponification is complete. After cooling down to about 180 Fahrenheitthe coal-tar benzol is added, as before. This IOO dissolves the lowerfat alcohols, cholesterin, and isocholesterin, leaving the soap,however, with the mythlated spirits as a lower stratum. Afterstanding-for a'time the upper layer is drawn or skimmed off, and, ifnecessary, further,benzol added to the lower layer and again skimmed offtill all the unsaponifiable matter is withdrawn from the soap. Each ofthe two liquors is distilled to separate the solvent, as before. Theupper la er produces a mixture of fatty alcohols, cholesterin, andisocholesterin, forming an admirable lubricant of extraordinaryviscosity and the lower layer a capital soap for household ormanufacturing purposes.

,It is obvious that if the entire process first described were carriedout and the raw lanolin and the fatty alcohols added together in steadof being kept separate the results and the chemistry of the twoprocesses would be identical.

What I claim isi 1. The process of treating Wool-grease and 1 other likegreases containing unsaponifiable matter, which consists in subjectingthe grease to the action of caustic-alkali solution, therei separatelywhereby the solvents are distilled oft and fat alcohols are obtainedfrom the one and soap-stuff from the other, which latter can be finishedinto a valuable soap in the ordinary manner.

2. The process of treating wool-grease and other like greases containingunsaponifiable matter,which consists in subjecting the grease to theaction of caustic alkali, ethyl or methyl alcohol, and a solvent of fatalcohols insoluble in alcohol, and allowing the mixture to separate intotwo layers, distilling off the sol- Vents from each layer whereby amixture of raw lanolin and fat alcohols admirableas a lubricant isobtained in one case and a soapstufi in the other. 3. The process oftreating wool-grease and other like greases containing unsaponifiablematter, which consists in partially saponifying with caustic alkali andheat, adding spirits and coal-tar benzol whereby it is divided into twolayers on standing, separating these two layers and distilling off thesolvents, whereby the fatty alcohols and a good soapstufi are separatelyobtained.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name, this 13th day ofSeptember, 1899, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN HOPKINSON.

Witnesses:

DAN OOATES, GEORGE W. BLIGH.

